Inside Veterans Health – VAntage Pointhttps://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage
Official Blog of the U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsTue, 14 Aug 2018 22:00:47 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9VA’s VITAL program helps student Veteranshttps://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/51341/va-vital-program-helps-student-veterans/
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/51341/va-vital-program-helps-student-veterans/#respondTue, 14 Aug 2018 14:00:18 +0000https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=51341VA’s VITAL program is a multi-faceted initiative designed to help Veterans achieve their academic goals while supporting them with mental health and other issues.

]]>Many Veterans want to pursue higher education when they get out of the armed forces. And whether you served four years or retired after decades of service, heading back to school can be a daunting task; Veterans face their own unique challenges when pursuing a degree.

VITAL exists to serve all student Veterans. That could be student Veterans headed back to school on the GI Bill, or those using vocational rehabilitation and other programs. VITAL’s mission is to aid Veterans in overcoming obstacles and achieving academic success.

VITAL is a collaborative effort between the schools, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and state and local governments to ensure student Veterans get the tools they need to succeed. The VITAL program offers a lot of tools for student Veterans, but at the center of the VITAL toolbox is the peer-to-peer mentor.

A battle buddy for higher education

The mentors are fellow student Veterans who get significant training through VA in a variety of services, including benefits, mental health and suicide prevention. The peer mentors conduct most of the outreach for the program and are the go-to persons for the student Veterans.

“Among our Veterans, in general, there is a stigma about asking for help and not wanting to appear weak,” says Dr. Ahern. “But if they can hear it from another student Veteran, it can make it kind of normal.”

Veteran Travis Murphy is a peer mentor who has benefited from the VITAL program

The mentors reach out to new student Veterans, get them into their offices, get a sense of the new student Veteran needs and then periodically touch base with them. The mentors help Veterans enroll in VHA health care, determine if they should be using vocational rehab or the GI bill and help them get into Veteran Service Officers to make claims or learn about making a claim. Most importantly they have the Veterans’ backs.

“They are getting the one-on-one attention they deserve,” says Travis Murphy, a Marine Corps Veteran, peer-to-peer mentor and Weber State student. “I want to say I see myself as an advisor and peer, and someone, they can come to and talk about their classes if they are struggling.”

Travis is not only a mentor; he also benefited from the program. Serving as a work study at Weber State’s Veterans Services Office, a VITAL mentor let him know that he was enrolled in VHA health care, something Travis did not know. That led to primary health care appointments and mental health counseling through the VITAL program on campus at Weber State.

More than just outreach

The mentors are so much more than just outreach specialists. The mentors “build that relationship and trust and then start asking them specifically about how they are doing,” says Dr. Ahern. “And then it is easier for a Veteran to disclose, they’re struggling. Then the mentors get those services that are specific to their need.”

A common need is mental health care. The mentor will connect the student Veteran with VA clinicians and best of all, a student Veteran doesn’t even have to leave campus. “We do a full gamut of outpatient services,” says Dr. Ahern. “We just do them out there at the school. They don’t need to come to VA; they can just come over to us and then head out to class.”

Dr. Ahern also looks at the entire program as a suicide prevention program.

“For some people, they hear that and they think someone who is in an active crisis mode,” he says. “We do that, but what I think is more important and more valuable with VITAL is that we are trying to get people to be successful at life and reengaging with something that is meaningful for them.”

Dr. Ahern says the VITAL program helps the Veterans deal with issues before they reach that crisis level, but if they do, mentors are trained to address suicide both from the crisis side and the preventative side.

The mentors “may not know all the risk factors,” says Dr. Ahern, “but they are trained on how to screen for suicide risk factors. Then they know what to do with that.”

“We will spend 2-3 hours sitting down and talking to Veterans if need be,” says Travis, “to make sure that they are okay and that they can walk out of this office without any threat to their life.”

And if they are not okay, the mentors know who to call to get the Veteran the support they need. Currently, the VITAL program is offered at 23 VA medical centers.

“The schools allow us to be there,” notes Dr. Ahern. “They are gracious hosts to have kind of a VA embassy on campus.”

But it is much more than just that. Dr. Ahern says it’s a collaboration with the schools. The schools help put VA in touch with student Veterans.

Weber State University’s Director of Veterans Services and retired Army officer, Charlie Chandler

VITAL Successes

“When a Veteran comes back and says I passed,” says Travis, “it is a great feeling because I am seeing my influence is actually positively affecting somebody.”

One of the success stories involved a peer mentor calling a student Veteran for an outreach call. During the call, the Veteran divulged that he was struggling, that he had a lot of recent losses in his life and was thinking of dropping out of school. While the mentor talked further with the Veteran, the Veteran let the mentor know he was having suicidal thoughts.

The mentor with the help of Dr. Ahern got the Veteran the treatment he desperately needed. However, their help didn’t stop there, they also reached out the Veteran’s school and got him academic support.

Jeremy Laird is a proud Army Veteran and loves telling the stories of our Veterans. He joined the communications team at VA Salt Lake City Health Care System in 2015 following a 20-year career in broadcast journalism.

]]>https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/51341/va-vital-program-helps-student-veterans/feed/0Army Veteran and NYC police detective shares her experience fighting breast cancerhttps://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/51161/army-veteran-nyc-police-detective-shares-experience-fighting-breast-cancer/
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/51161/army-veteran-nyc-police-detective-shares-experience-fighting-breast-cancer/#commentsTue, 07 Aug 2018 14:00:22 +0000https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=51161Lucretia Gayle is an Army Veteran and NYC police detective. In addition to dealing with bad guys, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She shared her story with cancer survivors.

]]>Lucretia Gayle (pictured above left, with Oncologist Dr. Andrea Leaf on the right), a 21-year Army Veteran and New York City Police detective who specializes in investigations of organized crime, weapons and drugs, described the highs and lows of her life after receiving a diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer a year ago. Gayle recently talked about her experience at a Cancer Survivors Day event held June 6 at VA’s Brooklyn campus. The annual program was attended by about 60 patients, family members, friends and VA caregivers.

Explaining how a feeling of loss of control was the hardest part for her, Gayle was extremely appreciative of the care and compassion provided by oncologist Dr. Andrea Leaf and she named many nurses, among others, who treated her at VA. Gayle is now feeling well and increasingly open about sharing her experience to help fellow patients.

“I was angry. I had no way of dealing with this.”

Gayle grew up mostly in Queens and after high school and a year of college, became a police officer with the NYPD and joined the military, serving in the Army reserve. She was deployed twice to the Middle East, serving for a year in Iraq in 2002 and then going back to Iraq for 18 months in 2004. For most of the time she was driving a truck – an 18-wheeler. Her unit moved around a lot near Baghdad and other locations carrying fuel for air craft and trucks. Hurt in Iraq and medevacked out in 2004 with a back and leg injury, she received rehab treatment for four years at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

When she was honorably discharged in 2009, she had served 21 years. “I went back to my job as an undercover police officer on the street and then was promoted to detective. I serve in a unit that investigates organized crime, drugs and weapons.” She completed college earning a bachelor’s degree in 2015.

Gayle says she was fine until 2016, “when I had two inconclusive breast biopsies.” A month later, in February, another biopsy was positive. “I had stage 2 breast cancer. It was a lot to take in,” she says.

Talking openly about her experience, Gayle says, “I’m tough. But with everything else I’d been through with my deployments and recovery from injury, I knew I would recover. I was OK. You get hurt, you get better. It’s not a longtime thing. But, with cancer, oh my God. It made me feel like I had no control. I was angry. I had no way of dealing with this. It’s like a newborn baby doesn’t come with instructions. You have to learn by yourself. I’m still trying to deal with being alone. The numbness in my fingers and toes that comes from the treatment sometimes bothers me, but I’m getting through. I’m coping with it day by day.”

Doctors told Gayle to make a plan and to do it quickly. In April, Dr. Heuldine Webb performed the surgery to remove a breast and one lymph node. There were complications. “So, it wasn’t all over and done the way I thought it would be,” she says.

“My first doctor after the surgery was a man but I felt a lot more comfortable when I changed and had Dr. Leaf as my doctor. Dr. Leaf is awesome. I started on chemo and was hospitalized twice over that period. Then I received radiation every day for seven weeks. That ended in February 2018. While I was undergoing radiation therapy, I was part of a support group. It was made up of older men, Vietnam Vets and one other woman. We had a good time.”

Finished with her radiation treatment and feeling much better, Gayle will be going back to her service as a police detective. “I love the job. It’s helping people in the community. It’s rewarding getting the bad guys locked up.”

]]>https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/51161/army-veteran-nyc-police-detective-shares-experience-fighting-breast-cancer/feed/5Army Veteran Jimmy Green says the annual national wheelchair games “opened the door to the rest of my life.”https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50855/annual-national-wheelchair-games/
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50855/annual-national-wheelchair-games/#respondTue, 31 Jul 2018 14:00:12 +0000https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=50855Army Veteran Jimmy Green has been competing in the wheelchair games for 22 years and has won 67 medals. He enjoys seeing new Veterans participate because he knows how much it will mean to their lives

]]>The year was 1987. Seriously injured in a car accident while on active duty with the U.S. Army, then 18-year-old Veteran Jimmy Green was paralyzed from the waist down and thought his life was over.

Nine years later, he would find new life when he was introduced to the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Seattle, Wash., by a Paralyzed Veterans of America National Service Officer. He says the experience redefined him and gave his life purpose.

Jimmy Green getting ready for a hook shot

That was 22 years ago and Green has participated in every Wheelchair Games since, competing in up to seven different wheelchair sports and earning an impressive 67 medals.

He is excited about competing with fellow Veterans during the 38th National Veterans Wheelchair Games coming to Orlando July 30-Aug. 4. He will take part in wheelchair softball, basketball, field events, 9-ball and archery – the latter being a new sport for him.

“To see real athletes playing real sports and doing it so impressively, well, the games enlightened me. I learned that you can be the athlete that you once were—in a different way. And there are so many wheelchair sports to compete in. The games literally opened the door to the rest of my life.

Jimmy Green sends javelin on its high, arcing flight

“I have made so many friends through wheelchair sports and the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. I especially look forward every year to new Veterans participating in the Games. They leave enlightened…I love seeing what it once did for me do for them,” Green says.

3,000 volunteers help to make it happen

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is co-presented by VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). The games serve Veterans with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, amputations and other central neurological impairments with the goal to increase their independence, healthy activity and quality of life through wheelchair sports and recreation.

Veterans are exposed to wheelchair sports at their home VA medical center or PVA Chapters as part of their rehabilitation to improve function, independence and getting them active in their home communities in sport and fitness.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games has 19 different events that Veterans can choose to participate. Events such as wheelchair basketball, softball, swimming, cycling, power lifting and trap shooting are just a few of the events that support this dynamic competition.

A brigade of more than 3,000 local volunteers donate their time and assist with all aspects of the games, supporting specific events and engaging with the Veterans. Hundreds of VA therapists, physicians, nurses, and PVA chapter staff from across the country contribute their time, expertise, and passion to work with each Veteran, to ensure they are prepared and get the most out of the experience.

About the author: Susan Wentzell is the Deputy Communication Manager at the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8), in St. Petersburg, Florida. She has been a federal public affairs practitioner for nearly 40 years to include a position as public affairs officer at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa. She retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2005, serving 26 years as a military PAO and retiring at the rank of colonel. She has also held positions as a newspaper and television reporter, university public speaking instructor, and corporate/agency public relations professional.

]]>https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50855/annual-national-wheelchair-games/feed/0Whole Health, the Veteran’s experiencehttps://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50678/whole-health-veterans-experience/
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50678/whole-health-veterans-experience/#commentsTue, 24 Jul 2018 14:00:42 +0000https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=50678VA’s Whole Health approach lets Veterans take charge of their health based on their priorities with the support of Whole Health peer facilitators on their health team.

Watch this 3-minutes video to learn more about the VA Whole Health System and the impact this model is having on Veterans. Meet Veterans who are serving as Whole Health peer facilitators to support their comrades in achieving their goals as they explore what matters most in their lives. Learn how VA’s Whole Health approach is empowering, equipping, and treating Veterans based on their priorities, helping Veterans become mission ready for life.

The Pathway EMPOWERS: As you will see in this video, Veterans begin the pathway to whole health with fellow Veterans through an introduction to Whole Health and a program called, Taking Charge of Your Life and Health. In a partnership with peers, Veterans explore their mission, aspirations, and purpose in life. VA health teams guide and assist Veterans throughout their Whole Health journey. Veterans are introduced to a personal health inventory which is a holistic self-assessment. Once individual goals are developed, Veterans begin creating a personal health plan that helps them achieve greater health and well-being through enhanced sleep, pain management, or other key areas of importance to the individual.

Six people holding discussion in conference room

Well-being Programs EQUIPS: Once Veterans determine their priorities, the VA health team helps identify well-being programs that enhance self-care. These well-being programs help Veterans address a range of issues that impact physical, emotional, and mental health. There is a special emphasis on life balance, movement, flexibility, and attainment of a general sense of fulfillment and joy. As you will see, well-being programs can include physical activities, meditative practices, or creative expression which can be accessed in person or through online resources.

Whole Health Clinical Care TREATS: Clinical care, when needed, is an important part of any personal health plan. Clinical care is provided by clinicians who utilize a whole health approach which is grounded in a healing relationship which is critically important for Veterans with complex conditions, such as chronic pain and the invisible wounds of war.

The 46-year-old Army Veteran has parlayed that image into an acting career, landing main roles as a biker, thug, detective, bartender and soldier in movies with small to large budgets. He’s now in two recently released films, the science fiction movie “Forbidden Power” and the horror movie “Beloved Beast.” He’s playing a school principal in “They Reach,” another horror film that is in production.

“Other Vets with TBI…have been very patient and understanding.”

Lance Caver

Caver may be adept at assuming film roles, but he can’t escape the reality of two difficult health conditions he’s coping with: traumatic brain injury (TBI) and adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD).

Serving in Iraq from 2003 to 2006, Caver says he got “hit hard” many times, including when a rocket-propelled grenade slammed into his Humvee.

He’s since experienced bad migraine headaches, as well as persistent neck and back pain. “I’ve just learned to live with it,” says Caver.

Among other complications, traumatic brain injuries can lead to AGHD. Caver got an AGHD diagnosis when he took part in a clinical trial of the drug Macrilen led by Dr. Jose Garcia of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. The research was aimed at testing a new, easier way to diagnose AGHD.

Caver’s AGHD symptoms include fatigue and weight gain. Caver, who is 5-feet-7, weighed no more than 180 pounds in Iraq. But he ballooned up to 240 after his honorable discharge from the service in 2008.

He’s now on human growth hormone medication and has reported feeling better overall, with increased energy levels and improvements in sleep and feelings of depression.

In the clinical trial, Garcia’s team found Macrilen comparable to the more traditional insulin tolerance test (ITT) for diagnosing AGHD. The trial led to FDA approval of the drug as a diagnostic test.

Caver in Iraq 2004

As a study participant, Caver tried both methods. He says he preferred the Macrilen test by far. It “was a piece of cake,” he says, compared with the more arduous ITT.

Caver still struggles with weight loss. Through healthy eating and regular exercise, mostly on the treadmill, he has dropped his weight to 215. But he’s had trouble losing more.

“I try to work out to what my headaches can tolerate,” he says. “My biggest thing now is figuring out how to drop the weight. I’d love to lose about 50 more pounds. I’m sure that will help with everything.”

The headaches also remain a problem. AGHD isn’t directly linked to headaches. But both may occur as a result of TBI.

“I’d never had headaches before, especially like these, until Iraq,” Caver says. “These headaches have since gotten worse and have never gone away.”

Caver continues battling his ailments so he can perform on movie sets. He sometimes struggles to remember lines when he’s presented with a lengthy dialogue. But he’s worked at times with other Vets with TBI in the acting business, noting that “most have been very patient and understanding” about the challenges he faces.

]]>https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50520/research-helps-veteran-actor-succeed-despite-tbi-related-growth-hormone-deficiency/feed/14VA Top Nurse of the Year is former Air Force bomber navigatorhttps://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50164/top-nurse-of-the-year-is-former-air-force-bomber-navigator/
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50164/top-nurse-of-the-year-is-former-air-force-bomber-navigator/#commentsTue, 10 Jul 2018 14:00:50 +0000https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=50164Fresno VA’s Nurse of the Year is a retired Air Force bomber navigator who treats patients with compassion and understanding. He connects with fellow Veterans by listening, not judging.

VA has an exceptionally talented team of outstanding employees. We would like you to meet them, continuing this week with our dedicated staff of nurses. We will introduce our remarkable nurses in a continuing feature: VA’s Top Nurses.

Nurse of the Year is former bomber navigator

Sitting quietly, he listened as the Veteran cried, screamed and vented.

The young man, who had served in Southwest Asia Post 9/11 and suffered from Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, was highly upset, wouldn’t engage, angry at the world and miserable with life. Accompanied by his parents, he had admitted himself into the VA hospital near suicidal. But no one at VA Central California Health Care System could connect with him.

No one except Manuel Martin.

The retired Air Force major and registered nurse just listened. He listened and he created a protected space. This allowed the Veteran to share and explore his feelings without judging him or limiting him. And he made a connection. From there, Martin was able to inject his compassion and understanding, his empathy and experiences and his fears and faith.

“I feel honored to…assist Veterans every day.”

At discharge, that same Veteran stopped by the nurse manager’s office, with a tear in his eye, to tell her about his interactions with Martin.

Nurse Martin sat with the Veteran while he cried. He listened to him while he was upset and shouting. And he hugged him when he was leaving, said Diane Palacio, nurse manager.

“Just watching him with that Veteran made me cry too,” she said.

Martin was recently selected as the Fresno VA Nurse of Year.

Air Force Major Manuel Martin in Afghanistan in 2004 during Operation Enduring Freedom

“He is detail oriented, compassionate about his work and he loves Veterans,” said Palacio. “He’s the nurse you want at your loved one’s bedside. He clearly demonstrates the criteria of Nurse of the Year.”

“It’s a great honor to be recognized because my job entails helping fellow Veterans,” said Martin, who served 24 years in the Air Force, much of that time as a navigator on bombers, tankers and cargo planes.

“I’m grateful to my superb nurse manager for nominating and trusting me. Giving care to my fellow Veterans has been very satisfying and fulfilling,” said Martin, who has worked for the VA for nearly seven years. “I feel fortunate and honored to be in a position where I can assist Veterans every day.”

To go from a career in the Air Force as a navigator, to starting over and becoming a nurse, to now being selected as Nurse of Year – “it’s a blessing,” said Martin, who has been married for 35 years and has two daughters, one son and one granddaughter.

Manuel Martin and his wife and two daughters are all nurses and his son is a speech pathologist.

And as to why he decided to become a nurse at age 48, “My daughters and I decided together to follow my wife and we all became nurses,” he said with a smile.

But the California State University Bakersfield graduate knew earlier on that this would be his calling.

While deployed as the assistant deputy commander for operations in Kenya for Operation Restore Hope, Martin planned the medical evacuation of a severely injured Marine from Mogadishu, Somalia.

“The joy I felt when I was told the marine was saved because he was quickly evacuated to a hospital inspired me to pursue a career in the medical field after I retired from the Air Force,” said Martin. “I also knew in my heart then that it would be in the VA where I would like to work … to care for fellow Veterans.”

Cameron Porter is the Public Affairs Officer at VA Central California Health Care System. Previously, he served 28 years with the U.S. Army, culminating with his last position as Command Sergeant Major of American Forces Network, Europe.

]]>https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50164/top-nurse-of-the-year-is-former-air-force-bomber-navigator/feed/8Independence Day events at VA Medical Centershttps://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50132/independence-day-events-va-medical-centers/
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50132/independence-day-events-va-medical-centers/#commentsTue, 03 Jul 2018 11:30:15 +0000https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=50132July 4 - Independence Day. A holiday for America, a special day for Veterans, the men and women who have protected our independence for two centuries. Here are just a few events marking the day.

]]>July 4th – picnics, fireworks, parades, patriotic music and eloquent speeches. A wonderful day in a beautiful country!

We usually just call it The Fourth but of course it’s officially Independence Day. Congress officially recognized the holiday on June 28, 1870.

Independence has a very special meaning for the thousands of Veterans we serve at VA. The independence we enjoy in America has been safeguarded for 242 years by the millions of men and women in uniform since Valley Forge.

At VA medical centers across America, Veterans salute and are saluted with special occasions to mark the day. Just a few examples:

NASCAR driver Kyle Larson at the Hines VA Hospital, Chicago

NASCAR driver Kyle Larson (above) visited Hines VA Hospital in Chicago to meet Veterans and help distribute food at the Hines Food Pantry. Larson is the ambassador for Stars & Stripes Weekend which celebrates and honors all who serve and those who have served. Veterans at Hines also received 50 tickets to the NASCAR Xfinity Series 300 Race at Chicagoland Speedway.

For decades, Thunder on the Mountain has been hailed as one of the largest and most extravagant Independence Day traditions in the state of Alabama—and this year will be no exception. On July 4 Thunder on the Mountain 2018 will once again illuminate the skies above Birmingham’s beloved iron man, Vulcan and will be televised live from the top of the Birmingham VA Medical Center parking garage.

Over 200 Veterans, staff and family members will view the fireworks which will be choreographed to a musical soundtrack patriotic favorites and popular music.

Artist Yolanda Mozdzen painted a series of five paintings for Veterans celebrating the 4th of July. Her plan is to donate one painting to a facility relating to Veterans in each of the five boroughs of New York City. She chose the one called “Home” to bring to VA’s Manhattan Campus. “I thought ‘Home’ felt right for the hospital because while patients are in the hospital, it is home. And many Veterans feel more comfortable and happier in a place where they are with other Veterans than somewhere where people don’t know about them,” she said.

Her 4th of July paintings are dedicated to US Veterans everywhere, from every era.

Thank You, Claudie Benjamin

VA Western NY Healthcare System had a marvelous Flag Day Celebration in partnership with Batavia Middle School. They recently held a large Veterans Stand Down at Key Bank Center to provide resources to all Veterans. Over 100 VA and community providers, employers and resources were on hand to help Veterans.

Thank you, Evangeline Conley, Public Affairs Officer

Veterans and family members attended a special concert by the U.S. Air Force Rock Band at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center on June 30. There was also an ice cream social, great music and great treats, sponsored by the Voluntary Service Team

Thanks, Lela Vance-Glover

New Orleans VA Medical Center held their third annual Salute to the Flag where WWII Veterans raise the flag. The agenda included a welcome by the medical center director Fernando O. Rivera, the raising of the flags by George Mazzeno and Jack Castrogiovanni, WWII Veterans and a 21 Gun Salute to the Flag by the Louisiana National Guard.

Thanks, Amanda S. Jones

The day after Congress voted to declare independence, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail: “It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

]]>https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/50132/independence-day-events-va-medical-centers/feed/2VA now reminds Veterans of their appointments by texthttps://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/49965/va-now-reminds-veterans-appointments-text/
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/49965/va-now-reminds-veterans-appointments-text/#commentsTue, 26 Jun 2018 14:00:09 +0000https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=49965VA will now remind all enrolled Veterans of their appointments by text. It’s called VEText, an interactive mobile solution that offers a quick and easy way to confirm or cancel appointments.

]]>To increase access to health care for all Veterans, VA has created VEText, an interactive mobile solution to remind Veterans of upcoming appointments via text messaging.

More than 9 million VA health care appointments are missed each year.

VEText has sent appointment reminders to more than five million Veterans

The goal is to offer a quick and easy way to confirm or cancel appointments and then schedule another Veteran into that time slot if possible. Just since the program began in March, the national no-show rate has declined from 13.68 percent to 12.22 percent.

Beginning October 1, Veterans throughout the nation will be receiving interactive VEText appointment reminders on their mobile devices. Most are receiving the reminders now.

Make sure your VA medical center has your current cell phone number

Every Veteran with a cell phone number listed in their health record is automatically enrolled in the program, so it is very important for Veterans to ensure that your local medical center has your current phone numbers.

Veterans may update their phone numbers during check-in at their next appointment, or use the self-service kiosks located throughout our facilities.

The first text message reminder will be sent seven days before the appointment and a second reminder text message will be sent two days day before the appointment. The timing/frequency of the reminders may vary by facility.

Veterans should review the date and time of each appointment and use the prompts provided in the message to either confirm or cancel the appointment. Veterans with multiple appointments on the same day will receive multiple reminders.

As of May 31, 2018, VEText has sent appointment reminders to more than five million unique Veterans with over 9 million messages exchanged. Also, the system has allowed 134,000 appointments to be cancelled via a simple response, creating an open slot for another Veteran and possibly preventing a no-show.

Don’t text? You can opt out.

The VEText system also has an easy to use opt-out process for Veterans who do not want to use the text messaging reminders. Simply reply to the text message with “STOP.” Additionally, all appointment reminder messages contain instructions on how to end the message delivery. If you want to restart the text message appointment reminders, simply text “START” to a previous reminder message and service will resume.

VEText works for VA health care appointments only and the text messages do not currently replace the letters and automated phone calls Veterans already receive for appointment reminders.

Today, it is estimated that one million of our nation’s Veterans identify as LGBT. Studies reveal LGBT Veterans accessing VA services were more likely to screen positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and alcohol misuse than non-LGBT Veterans.

“Treatment works and recovery is possible.”

Veterans who could not or did not serve openly in the military or concealed their sexual orientation while in service were associated with higher rates of depression and PTSD.

Suicide is preventable. Seek help early.

LGBT Veterans may experience chronic stress from discrimination. This stress is worse for those who need to hide their sexual identity, as well as for those who have lost important emotional support because of their sexual orientation. Interpersonal stressors such as a failing or failed relationship have also been associated with increased rates of suicide for both service members and Veterans.

Treatment works and recovery is possible. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, sadness, depression, stress, or any other warning signs of suicide, talk with your VA provider or therapist right away. Ask your VA provider about including mental health as part of your routine care. Don’t wait until you’re in crisis.

Know the warning signs of suicide.

Many Veterans may not show any signs of intent to harm thmselves before doing so, but some actions can be a sign that a Veteran needs help. Take notice if you or another Veteran is showing signs of anxiety, low self-esteem and/or hopelessness, such as:

Exhibiting behavior that is dramatically different from their normal behavior

VA welcomes all Veterans

VA welcomes all LGBT Veterans to its facilities to receive high quality, respectful care. VHA personalizes health care to the unique needs of LGBT Veterans and develops and delivers training to VHA staff on LGBT health care.

VA is here to support you

If you or someone you know is in crisis, support is available 24/7. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available to all at 1-800-273-8255. Veterans, Service members and their families and friends can call the Veterans and Military Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat or text 838255.

]]>https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/49782/preventing-suicide-among-lgbt-veterans/feed/12VA’s telehealth care for rural Veterans with PTSDhttps://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/49397/va-telehealth-care-rural-veterans-ptsd/
https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/49397/va-telehealth-care-rural-veterans-ptsd/#commentsTue, 12 Jun 2018 14:00:28 +0000https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=49397PTSD spares no neighborhoods. Veterans with PTSD who live in rural areas need access to care too and VA’s Office of Rural Health is conducting a pilot program to provide access to that care.

]]>VA is conducting a pilot telehealth program that will give rural Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remote access to psychotherapy and related services. The project is part of the focus on improving availability of mental health care for Veterans living in rural areas.

VA researchers have worked diligently in recent years to establish the safety and efficacy of PTSD psychotherapy delivered remotely, ensuring Veterans will get the same quality of PTSD care as if they were in a doctor’s office at a VA medical center. This program will help greater numbers of Veterans living in rural areas and will save them time and effort to get to a VA facility that is far from their homes.

Dr. John Fortney, a research health scientist at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle is leading the project.

“Long travel distances to urban areas can be a major barrier to care for rural Veterans,” Fortney said. “In a prior trial, we were able to use telehealth technologies successfully to engage Veterans in evidence-based, trauma-focused therapy without their having to travel to a distant VA medical center.”

To date, more than 680 rural Veterans who are not receiving specialty PTSD care have enrolled in the study. The participants may choose between the two main forms of evidence-based, trauma-focused psychotherapy used in VA: cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure therapy.

Veterans participating in the program receive frequent phone calls from a care manager who helps them access services provided by off-site psychiatrists and psychologists. The psychotherapy is delivered via interactive video from a VA medical center to a community-based outpatient clinic or to the Veteran’s home. The telephone care manager also monitors the Veterans’ progress and helps them overcome barriers to care.

The program includes 12 clinics across the nation in Charleston, South Carolina; Iowa City, Iowa; Little Rock, Arkansas; Denver; Colorado; San Diego, California and Seattle, Washington. The results, which will be available in 2020, will lay the groundwork for national implementation of the program.